


This Time

by YesIsAWorld



Category: Harry Styles (Musician), Liam Payne (Musician), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bad Decisions, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Rebounds, past gryles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-23
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-25 05:21:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30084111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YesIsAWorld/pseuds/YesIsAWorld
Summary: When Harry shows up at Liam door, upset that his relationship has ended, Liam finally gets his chance to act on the crush he's harbored for ages.
Relationships: Liam Payne/Harry Styles
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15
Collections: Harry & Men Fic Fest





	This Time

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you a million times over to [Maggie](http://disgruntledkittenface.tumblr.com/) for running this amazing fest and also for the extension! MWAH. Love you!!!

Liam knew that he should get up and stretch, but he had nuzzled into the perfect pillow-packed corner of his sofa, curled up and zoned out while watching the Bourne trilogy on some high numbered cable network he had never heard of. He hadn’t meant to stay stagnant for so long—he had laundry to sort and meal prep to think about and a guilty conscious about how long it had been since he last called his grandma—but the short rest he meant to take that afternoon faded into evening and his stomach growled before he had even begun to think about what to make for dinner. 

He resigned himself to ordering delivery, his standard glass noodles from his favorite Thai place, when he realized he didn’t even know where his phone was. And, he had to whiz. 

Reluctantly, he threw his layered blankets to the floor, and stood up with a groan. 

He rolled his neck on the way to the bathroom, and a quick chest-opening exercise after he peed gave him the energy he needed to hunt down his phone. His apartment wasn’t that big; there weren’t that many places it could be hiding. 

It was in the kitchen, right next to the lukewarm glass of water he had meant to drink hours ago. He dumped the water and refilled it, pulling it to his lips as he unlocked his phone, already debating whether he wanted a side of curry puffs or fried tofu, or both, to round out his meal. 

But there was a missed call from Harry. He never called.

And an unread text from two hours ago, _Hey_.

An ugly cloud tugged on Liam’s diaphragm. Something was wrong. Harry’s texts were mostly old memes without context or long, hard to decipher diatribes about whatever niche topic he was into at the moment. 

_Hey. Sorry. Was conked out on the couch and didn’t see this. You okay?_ Liam bit his lip while the three response dots appeared immediately and then disappeared. He mentally berated himself for not just calling.

_I’m fine. Do you have plans for tonight?_

Liam looked down at his basketball shorts and ripped tank. _Ordering us some food and hanging with you?_

Truthfully, any night of any week of the past year that Liam had known Harry, that would’ve been Liam’s ideal night: hanging out with Harry. But Nick had captured Harry’s heart many years prior to that, before Liam even knew Harry, back when they were adorable teenagers. And though Harry and Nick’s “relationship” (or whatever it was, Liam got frustrated just thinking about how Nick never wanted to define it) had its ups and downs, Harry had seemed content over the past few months. Maybe Nick had pulled his head out of his ass and finally saw what a catch Harry was. Or, with a dangerous skip to his heart, he wondered if things between them had gone downhill quickly since the last time he met up with H for drinks.

_Thanks. Be there soon._

Liam figured it’d be at least a half an hour, so he found the menu for Harry’s favorite Greek place, ordered his usual and something for himself, then hopped in the shower for a quick rinse. 

***

The food, and then Harry, arrived in quick succession. The former with a quick exchange of money and a friendly smile, the second with a tight, too-long-to-be-okay hug and a wobbly smile. 

“Go sit,” Liam instructed with a quick squeeze to Harry’s arm. “I’ll get the plates and meet you on the couch.”

Liam balanced two beers and two heaping plates, and a handful of real silverware, since he knew how much H hated using plastic forks, and carried them into the living room, thanking Harry when he took the beers from the crook of his elbow. 

Opening up and discussing big topics had been the backbone of their friendship; the first real night they hung out they smoked a little pot then ended up on the roof of Liam’s building, sitting elbow to elbow, watching the night sky change as they debated how many true loves a person could have and and how the world would end and the ideal age to get married and U2’s best songs. When the sun started to rise, they went back inside, and Liam made a fresh pot of coffee and filled a travel mug for Harry to take on the trek across town. Harry went to his boyfriend’s apartment, and Liam went straight to bed, bemoaning the fact that it had only been a few hours but he was already besotted with his new friend. 

But, despite talking about seemingly everything under the sun, and even though he knew Harry’s relationship could be tumultuous at times, Liam didn’t know how to broach the subject. He took a long drag from his beer, then finally went with, “Wanna talk about it?”

Harry’s lower lip quivered. 

Liam’s instincts told him to pull Harry into a hug. But that was always Liam’s instinct. He always wanted to be touching Harry. But Harry was perched on the edge of the sofa, sitting up straight. Liam tapped his knee instead, when Harry turned his head to blink rapidly towards the ceiling. “Don’t have to. Could just put on a movie and not talk, if you’d rather.”

Harry cleared his throat. “I think—” He picked up the beer bottle and scraped at the label. “I don’t think. I know—” Liam gave him time, used to Harry’s slow cadence even when he wasn’t fighting to say what he meant. He put the drink down without taking a sip. “It’s over. I’m… We’re through. Nick and I.”

Emotions rolled through Liam. Heartbreak that his friend was so sad. Jubilation that things had ended since Liam knew Nick wasn’t the right person for H. Concern about how really over it was. Worry about what went down. 

“But…”

“It is, Li. I know I’ve said it before, but this time…” Liam couldn’t stop watching Harry pull one of his many rings around his finger. He twisted and twisted and twisted it. “I really walked away this time.”

“Shit. What… I mean, what changed? What’d he do?”

Harry spat out a wry laugh. “I’m such an idiot.”

“You’re not,” Liam defended immediately. “No matter what it was, I doubt it was your fault.”

“It was my fault for hoping…” With a shuddery breath Harry fell back into the couch. “Okay, so I let him borrow my laptop. Because I have my work laptop I can use and he like, fucking melted the keyboard or something on his. I don’t know. He can be such a fucking disaster when he’s not paying attention.” 

Liam nodded along. “Okay…”

“And so when I got it back, he returned it to me, like, without even clearing it or closing windows or, like, anything. And I swear, I wasn’t like… snooping. Like, it’s not like I was trying to find something, it was just… there.”

“What was?”

“A Google chat, with Henry.”

“He didn’t even log out of his email?” Liam scoffed.

“I know.” Harry threw his arms up. “It’s like he wanted to get caught or something!” 

“Wait. Who’s Henry and what did it say?” Liam needed all the gossip before he could properly lay into what an asshole Nick was this time.

“Okay, so Henry’s this… friend… of his. They met pretty recently— at whatshisface’s premiere… the guy who did _Donny Darko_ …” Harry trailed off, trying to place his name, before giving up. “Whatever. The point is, they were friends, Nick swore that they were just friends… but there was always this… thing. There was this thing between them. I could practically feel it. I knew there was something else going on. But Nick always swore that there wasn’t.”

“He was cheating on you?” Liam was incredulous. Imagine having someone like Harry and choosing someone else instead. It was preposterous. 

“I mean…” Harry squirmed in his seat. “Technically it wasn’t really cheating since we were never technically together.” 

“Harry.” 

“I know. I know.”

“If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it’s still a duck even if you call it a chicken. You two were sleeping together, only with each other—”

“Technically we were allowed to—”

“For like years now. You two are always together. Like, I know, technically you’re friends with benefits or whatever, but at some point… when does a long term friends with benefits turn into something more?”

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t like that. He was always free to flirt with whoever he wanted.”

Liam wasn’t buying it. Just like he never did.

“Mmmhmm. And what about you?”

“Of course I was allowed. Just because neither of us acted on it, didn’t mean that we couldn’t. That was the difference.”

Liam picked his beer bottle up. They’d disagreed about this point too many times to count. “Fine. So what’s got your panties in a bunch this time, if he was allowed to do it.”

“I always just wanted him to be honest with me. He knew where I stood, he knew that I wanted it to be more, and all I wanted was for him to be honest so that I could know where he stood too. I knew… obviously I knew he didn’t want anything more with me, but I always hoped… one day… we might be end game, you know?”

“Yeah.” Liam knew all too well. “I know.”

“They kissed. Nick and Henry. They were talking about the kiss they shared. Like, Nick was saying how great it was. One single kiss.” Harry took some deep breaths. “Which is whatever. But he lied to me. He said that they hadn’t done anything, ever. But in the chat they were talking about me. Like, how Nick needed Henry not to say anything to me. Until he told me. So, I think he was planning on it. But like…” Harry growled in frustration. “Fuck,” he whispered. “I’m just so mad.”

“Are…” Liam debated on asking what he really wanted to know. “Is it that he lied to you, or are you actually mad that he kissed someone else?”

Harry shrugged, then stuffed a grape leaf in his mouth. Liam took a few bites himself, waiting for Harry’s procrastination strop to end. 

“I mean…” Harry said, almost done with his bite of food. “I am mostly angry that he lied to me. He’s supposed to be my best friend. He’s supposed to tell me everything. And he didn’t, even though it affects our relationship. But I am jealous about the kiss too.”

Liam nodded and took another bite. Nick was a fucking idiot. 

“He just… he looks at Henry now, the way he used to look at me. Like, there’s this adoration or something there. He used to look at me that way. Now it’s directed towards Henry and even though I told him that, he still swore there was nothing between them. But I knew there was. Way before the kiss I knew I was losing him. And I just feel stupid.”

“It’s… It’s okay that you wanted it to go differently. That you wanted to believe it’d work out. That doesn’t make you stupid.”

Harry’s lower lip trembled again until he took another bite. Liam waited until he was done chewing to ask his next question. 

“So that’s it? He lied about a kiss and you’re done? After all the times he’s toyed with you in the past?”

“That’s not fair.”

“Maybe not, but I’m not sure it’s fair that he’s always known he was it for you, and instead of being honest, he gave you hope.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. He wasn’t malicious. He cared for me, I know he did. Does.”

“But still, the straw that broke the camel’s back?”

Harry snorted. “That’s not really the worst part.” His voice went up, like it was a question. 

“What else’d he do? Give you an STD?”

“No.” Harry shook his head. “He, uh, when I confronted him about it. He tried to blow it off, like it wasn’t a big deal at all. Told me again how good of friends Henry and I would be, if we just tried. Which… like, I’m so not interested in at all. But then he offered up a threesome. Like, somehow that would solve everything? And it just, in that moment, was so clear to me that I’m never going to be his person. That I’m never going to be what he wants. That he would think that I would want to… He’s just such a dick.”

Liam hated how sad Harry looked, that someone would treat him this way, when he had nothing but love shining from his soul. Liam opened his arms. “Come give a cuddle.”

With a sob, Harry launched his body into Liam’s, and Liam rubbed his back while he cried on his shoulder. 

***

Liam steadily rubbed Harry’s back, even after his breathing evened out. It was pleasure and heartbreak all wrapped into one… his favorite state of being, holding Harry, but only because he was upset about someone else. And the second part, the Harry crying over someone else part, was why Liam was so bothered by his hard dick. Like, it’d be great if his head and heart and dick could all get their act together and be attracted to someone who was right for him, and available. 

Because Harry was still off limits, even if he claimed that things were over with Nick. Liam had heard that lie enough times. There was the possibility, of course, that it really was over this time, but only time would tell. 

So Liam held Harry and willed his dick to get soft by telling himself all the reasons why it wasn’t going to happen, and hoped that Harry wouldn’t move in a way that bumped into it. This was Liam’s personal crisis, and one that he didn’t need to add to Harry’s already relationship-filled angst plate. 

It was a perfect plan, until Harry shifted his weight from one side to another and in doing so, dragged his torso across Liam’s traitorous dick. 

They both stilled. Liam waited to see how Harry would play it, ignore the obvious or make a joke of it. When Harry didn’t immediately react, Liam hurried to find an excuse, to turn it from something into nothing. But then Harry tilted his head a bit to the right and gently ground down against it again. “Is that—“

“Yeah, sorry,” Liam said over him, in his haste to apologize. 

“Because of me?” When Liam hesitated, Harry’s eyes fell downcast and he said, “Or… just… because…”

“Uh. You?” Liam hedged his bets over the unexpected turn of conversation. “I can usually hide it, when you’re not, uh,” he laughed awkwardly, “laying on top of me.”

Harry caught his eye and Liam couldn’t look away. “It’s happened before?”

Liam huffed another embarrassed laugh, feeling caught out. “I mean… you are… you, you know.”

“Eloquent as always,” Harry said, softly, as he tilted his head towards Liam’s. His eyes flicked down to Liam’s lips, and Liam’s cheeks heated. He licked his lips, but otherwise remained still, not wanting to scare Harry away, if he was doing what the clutch in his heart thought he was. And not wanting to move towards him, in case Harry was still aiming to play it off like a joke. 

But Harry only moved closer, and a moment later Harry’s salty lips were on his. They kissed, innocently, while Liam’s heart hammered against his ribs. His brain was just a chant of “Harry’s kissing me. Harry’s kissing me. Harry’s kissing me.” But then Harry was opening up and Liam followed suit, and the kiss deepened. His dick gave a feeble kick at the feel of Harry against him, Harry wanting him, Harry’s deep moans because of him. 

But Liam’s brain didn’t let him enjoy it for long, pulling away just long enough to ask, “Are you sure? Is this…?”

And Liam believed Harry’s fierce nod, the way he looked into his eyes and said, “Fuck, Li,” before cupping Liam’s cheek and continuing to kiss him. 

Liam let himself have the moment, losing himself in the feel of Harry’s curls and the faint cologne fading into his neck.

“Can I?” Harry asked, rucking up Liam’s shirt. “Wanna feel you.”

Liam nodded as Harry sat back back on Liam’s thighs and watched Liam struggle to pull it off while he was laying down. When Harry tossed his own to the side and then bit his spit-shiny lip, while feeling his way down Liam’s chest, Liam was thankful for his dedicated ab workout. 

Liam traced Harry’s tattooed moth across his stomach, then continued downward, following the arc of the laurels on each of his hips. “Wanted to feel these for so long…” Liam wondered aloud.

“Yeah?” Harry questioned, taking his hands off of Liam’s six pack and playing with the button of his jeans. “And how about this?” Harry popped open the button and unzipped his fly. 

Liam couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips when Harry pulled his hard dick out, and loosely fisted it. 

“I’ll take that,” Harry said with a smirk. “I’ve shown you mine, you going to return the favor?”

“We’re doing this?” Liam asked. “I don’t want to pressure you when you’re…”

“Don’t say his name. And I’m the one sitting here with my dick out. Hardly feels like you’re pressuring me, yeah?”

“I just—”

“Don’t overthink it, babe.”

With that, Liam let himself fall into it, maneuvering Harry enough that he was able to free himself from the confines of his boxers. 

Harry was as big as he was, and jerking him felt like second nature, so he could keep mouthing at bits of skin, while feeling all of the planes and hills of Harry’s body. He couldn’t believe he was so lucky, that his being a friend for so long was paying off, that Harry was offering himself up like this to him.

“Can we…?” Harry stopped working over Liam’s cock. “Want you to fuck me.” Liam’s cock throbbed at the idea of sliding into Harry. “Your bed, please,” Harry added with a coquettish wink. 

“Lead the way,” Liam panted, giving himself an anticipatory squeeze. 

Harry undressed on his way, stepping out of his pants in the hall and yanking down his boxers while leaning against Liam’s door jamb. Liam followed his movements, but getting to pinch Harry’s bum as he balanced on the dresser to pull off his socks, since he never wore socks in his apartment. 

Harry planted himself ass up on the bed, then turned to look at Liam. “You have supplies, right?”

Liam pulled the lube and condom out of the drawer, and held them up in victory. 

“Such a Boy Scout. Knew you’d be prepared.”

“Always paid attention to the details,” Liam promised, snicking open his favorite lube. 

He started opening Harry up, preening at the enthusiastic sounds Harry made, and already creating a list of things he could think of to keep himself from coming too fast. Because it was Harry, and he was damned if he wasn’t going to put forth his best performance. He listened to every hitch of Harry’s breath to repeat the motions that affected him. Kissed his back and rubbed his hips, whispered into his skin how beautiful he was; how perfect. 

“Ready. Ready,” Harry begged sweetly. 

“Like this?” Liam asked. In all his fantasies, Harry had been looking up at him, they’d kiss and keep meaningful eye contact while Liam made love to him. The muffled “Yes” from where Harry had his head buried between his arms and cheeky bum shake was a far cry from his dream scenario, but it was still Harry, presenting himself. 

After he rolled the condom on and slicked himself up, he checked one last time, then inched himself into Harry. The way Harry clenched and moaned around him as he slowly worked his way in was incredible, and despite Harry clawing at his thighs, trying to get him to bottom out in one foul swoop, Liam savored every second of his dreaming coming true. 

“Move. Please. I’m ready,” Harry said in quick succession. “Please, Li. Not going to break, you can… I need you to give it to me.”

Liam still took his sweet time, laving him with praise and searing the way Harry’s shoulder muscles moved into his memory. By teasing Harry’s nipples, Liam learned how sensitive they were. While exploring Harry’s body, Liam learned all sorts of things that he committed to memory: that Harry was ticklish on the right side of his ribs, and that his whole body tensed when Liam was able to hit his prostate in just the right way, and that as his orgasm crept up on him, Harry gasped and whimpered like his body was feeling entirely too much to keep it all locked inside. He also learned that Harry really could take a pounding, crying out for more as Liam worked up a sweat thrusting and swiveling into him. 

When Liam was too close to slow down yet again, he reached around, jerking Harry tight and fast as he hurtled toward his orgasm. His whole body tensed, from his toes to his jaw, and he was coming while buried in Harry and it was the best moment of his whole entire life. He was still coming down from the thrill of it when Harry came, clenching around Liam and spurting onto his bedsheets. 

In the post coital silence, while they caught their breath, Liam carefully pulled out and disposed of the used supplies and Harry laid himself flat, still pillowing his head under one arm. 

Liam wanted to say something, but he wasn’t sure what, after how vocal he’d been during. That level of honesty felt out of place, now that he was halfway across the room. 

“Fucking ‘ell, Liam. If I had known how well you laid pipe, I’d have called you up ages ago.” 

Liam rolled his eyes and chuckled. “You’re welcome anytime.” He glanced at his boxers on the floor and then got back into bed still naked. “You sticking around tonight?”

“If you’ll have me.”

As if he was going to let him go without a fight. 

***

The sound of an unfamiliar ring woke Liam up. The spot next to him in bed was warm. Harry. Liam smiled into his pillow as the night before came rushing back. Harry had given him the most extraordinary gift and he was the luckiest man ever. Coffee. Then he could run down to the bakery on his street and get them pastries so they could spend the morning lazing in bed. Together. 

Except Harry was fumbling with his phone. “Fuck,” he whispered as he scrambled out of Liam’s bed. Liam cracked open an eye and as Harry stumbled into the hallway with an armful of clothes he heard, “Nick. Hey.”

Liam strained to hear any of the conversation. But it was useless. Finally he took a few steadying deep breaths, sat up, and did a half-hearted pretzel stretch to help loosen his limbs. After pulling on his boxers, he left his room just in time to see the front door close.

He made a whole pot of coffee, just in case he was coming back, then set about cleaning up the rementants of their dinner. Once the kitchen and living room were spotless, he let himself think that maybe Harry wasn’t also thinking of pastries in bed with him. Maybe he was on his way back to Nick’s. 

Maybe getting a taste of what he wanted was worse than dreaming about it. 

He picked up his phone and texted his buddy Louis. _Brunch? Think I got fucked and chucked by the loml._

By the time he showered Louis had responded. _You finally slept with H?????? Meet you in 30 at The Stag_

Liam debated texting Harry to make sure he was at least okay, but in the end he pocketed his phone. He’d text eventually. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not post this fic or any of my other fics on any other websites. I'm not currently allowing translations either. Thank you for respecting my wishes.  
> [Here's a tumblr link if you enjoyed it, and want to reblog!](https://louandhazaf.tumblr.com/post/646455673266323456/this-time-lirry-4k-explicit-when-harry)  
> [Here's a twitter link if you enjoyed it, and want to retweet!](https://twitter.com/Lou_and_Haz_AF/status/1374361144614395907)


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